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GOOD MORNING

The 9 at 9 Good morning! Here are nine things you want to know as you start your day.

EVERY DAY, TheJournal.ie brings you nine things you need to know with your morning cup of coffee.

1. #DOCTORS: The Irish Medical Organisation is meeting today to discuss upcoming industrial action following the result of a ballot yesterday with junior doctors voting overwhelmingly in favour. If the union decides on a strike, it could begin just three weeks from now.

2. #BANKS: The heads of Irish banks will face questions from the Oireachtas Finance Committee over the next few days on how they intend to preserve records that may be used in the anticipated banking inquiry. AIB’s David Duffy is first to appear today at 2pm.

3. #JOHN PERRY: Junior minister John Perry has reached an agreement with Danske Bank on the restructuring of the €2.47 million in debt he and his wife ran up. Though details of the deal have not been released, it is believed that an extension of loan securities and the sale of some assets is included.

4. #BANKRUPTCY TOURISM: The government has made no attempts to stop people taking advantage of more favourable bankruptcy laws in the UK, according to Minister Alan Shatter. Shatter said it would not be “proper” for his department to intervene in civil law proceedings in another jurisdiction.

5. #MICROSOFT: Microsoft is buying Nokia’s line-up of smartphones and a portfolio of patents and services in an attempt to mount a more formidable challenge to Apple and Google, Associated Press reports. The €5.44 billion euro deal marks a major step in Microsoft’s push to transform itself to a more versatile company.

6. #END OF AN ERA: Broadcaster Adrian Kennedy and his co-presenter Jeremy Dixon have announced that they are leaving FM 104 to present a mid-morning weekday show at rival 98fm. Their show was best known for featuring callers with strong opinions on everything from crime to immigration, and even UFO sightings.

7. #JAPAN: Plans for creating a wall of ice, costing half a billion dollars, have been announced in Tokyo, to stem radioactive water leaks at Fukushima, AFP reports. The ice wall would freeze the ground to a depth of some 30 metres through a system of pipes carrying a coolant.

8. #SYRIA: Over two million people have now fled Syria, according to a UN refugee agency which has warned that if this continues, some neighbouring countries could be brought to the point of collapse. Today, Irish Minister of State Joe Costello announced a further €1 million in funding to support Syrian refugees.

9. #SWIM FOR YOUR LIFE: A 64-year-old American woman has become the first person to swim from Havana to Keywest without using a protective shark cage, France 24 reports. It took three days for the woman to complete the journey, amid stormy weather and jellyfish attacks.

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